GSLIS Technology Computer Lab design (physical and visual)Computer ImagingSecurity Concerns

Linnea JohnsonAssistant Manager of Information TechnologyGSLIS

GSLIS Technology GroupWho are we?

Collaborative team of technologists for the GSLIS community including:

Two GSLIS Dean’s Fellows

WebCT Vista and GSLIS Continuing Education Support

Back-end server and workstation support

Six Technology Reference Assistants

GSLIS Tech Lab front desk support for GSLIS students, faculty, and staff

Assistant Manager of Technology for GSLIS

Oversee GSLIS Tech Lab and departmental technology needs for GSLIS staff, faculty, and students

Liasion to other departments on campus for technology initiatives

Assistant Dean of Technology for GSLIS

Also serves as Program Director for GSLIS at Mount Holyoke program

Computer Lab DesignKnow the audience and their needs.

GSLIS students typically want innovative and alternative options to the status quo when it comes down to computer applications, important for planning

More choices = happier GSLIS students

Who will be using the space?

students (graduate or undergraduate), faculty, staff?

In our case, the entire GSLIS community (students, faculty, staff, alums)

What special concerns need to be considered?

What are the space limitations?

What is the layout of the room?

GSLIS Technology LabTech Lab/Cataloging Lab Equipment Resources:

41 PCs with CD burners (Windows XP)

5 iMacs with cd burners (Mac OS X Tiger)

5 standard size flatbed scanners with document readers

2 oversized flatbed scanners

1 slide scanner

4 printers

Tech Lab physical layoutFront half of lab

14 PCs

5 iMacs

Classroom portion of lab (with moveable wall)

21 PCs

Cataloging Lab

6 PCs

Computer Naming Convention

Building Name Room Number Academic Year Operating System Sequential Number

PAL 213 214 07 XP TI 01 - 42

PAL21307XP01 PAL21307TI01

PAL21407XP01

Software on lab computersAdobe Software:

Adobe Acrobat 7.0 Standard

Adobe Distiller 7.0

Adobe Bridge

Adobe Photoshop CS2

Adobe Imageready CS2

Abode Acrobat Reader 7.0

Advanced Programming Tools:

Active Perl 5.8.8 Build 817

Java 1.5

MSXML 4.0

PHP

Win Merge

GIS Tools:

ArcView GIS 3.2a

Seagate Crystal Reports

ArcExplorer 

IM Applications:

AIM

Gaim

Skype

Software on lab computersMedia Tools

Roxio Easy CD Creator 5

Audacity

Digital Voice Editor 2

iTunes

Microsoft ActiveSync

OverDrive Media Console

PowerDVD

Quicktime

RealPlayer

Windows Media Player

Windows Movie Maker

Internet Tools:

FeedReader

Google Earth

Dreamweaver 8

MapEdit

Microsoft GIF Animator

NoteTab Light

Putty

Web Media Publisher Pro 3

WinSCP

Microsoft Office

Access 2003

Excel 2003

Powerpoint 2003

Project 2003

Visio 2003

Word 2003

Software on lab computersOpen Office:

Base (Databases)

Calc (Spreadsheets)

Draw (Graphics & Diagrams)

Impress (Slideshows)

Web Browsers

Internet Explorer

Mozilla Firefox

Refworks:

Write n Cite

Statistical Software

Minitab 14

SPSS

SAS

Sagebrush InfoCentre ILS

Software on lab computers

Start Menu Design

Organize applications by general categories

Allow for easy access of all applications

Desktop shortcuts

Put frequently used applications on the desktop as shortcuts

Include shortcuts to new additions to the image (Google Earth, GAIM, Open Office, Audacity)

How do you choose?Standard applications on college computers

Microsoft Office (Word, Powerpoint, Excel, Access)

Web Browsers (Internet Explorer, Netscape (why?!)

Adobe Photoshop CS2, Macromedia Dreamweaver 8, and Adobe Acrobat Standard (key served)

GSLIS specific applications/ LIS course curriculum support

Open source applications

inexpensive (usually free)

in development stages, open for contributions by general public

Non-standard (supporting audio/video initiatives)

Listen to suggestions from community

Building a computer imageTake a computer out of commission from the lab for image creation purposes

Re-format and erase hard drive

Create a base image which includes the operating system and standard applications

Compile list of GSLIS specific applications and add individually to base image

Log in as specified user

Set start menu organization, web browser settings, and desktop shortcuts

Copy user to the default profile folder (enables all users to grab profile settings from this location for a consistent and constant structure)

Deploying computer imageMany ways to deploy computer images:

Send over the network (sometimes not possible due to image size and bandwidth)

External hard drive (usually very slow)

External media such as cd-rs and dvd-rs (slow and prone to hardware errors)

Imaging in GSLIS Tech Lab

After image was created, it was copied to external firewire hard drive (8 GB in size)

Symantec Ghost Cast Server was used to create an imaging session from office PC

Lab computers were booted with ghost boot cd to connect to the session

Image was sent out to lab computers via multicasting in less than 10 minutes

Symantec GhostGhost is a disk cloning application

Acronym for General Hardware-Oriented Software Transfer (GHOST)

Multicasting allows sending a single image simultaneously to many machines without putting greater stress on the network than by sending an image to a single machine.

Security Concerns and Precautions Deep Freeze is on all machines in the Tech Lab

Application that preserves all settings and applications on lab machines

When computer is restarted, it automatically returns to initial state

Encourages saving to personal network folder, which is secure and protected

Desktop is not a safe place to save!

Thaw space on all machines

Weekly automatic Operating System updates are sent at non-peak lab times

Physical locks

For security and to prevent theft of machines and displays

Security considerations

Simmons network username and password required to use Tech Lab computers

Allows for easy access to network folder when saving files

Shortcut on desktop for Y drive

Allows only those with usernames to use computers

Security precautions are linked to service standards

Compromised machine or corrupt image would be re-imaged in minutes

Minimize down time for patrons

Questions?

Are there any questions?